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Defective Building Materials

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 July 2024

Wednesday, 10 July 2024

Questions (128)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

128. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications to the enhanced defective block redress scheme; the number of transfers from the old scheme; where these applications are at in terms of the stages of the process, in tabular form; the number who have drawn down funds to date; and the number who have drawn down their full grant, broken down by local authority area and year; and to provide a breakdown of all of the information, by local authority. [30059/24]

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Written answers

I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.

The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles are set out clearly in the 2022 Act.

The Housing Agency acts as agent on behalf of the local authorities under the Enhanced Grant Scheme. Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency engage its Framework Chartered Engineers to undertake the assessment, survey, sampling, testing and categorisation of the dwelling thereafter on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard I.S. 465:2018 and thereafter determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount in accordance with the provision of the Act.

The table below sets out the position in regard to how the Scheme has been operating in the broad areas requested.

Summary of Statistics for DCB Grant Scheme to 31 May 2024

Clare

Donegal

Limerick

Mayo

Total

Total Number of Applications (both schemes)

92

1,652

31

383

2,158

Applications Approved to Stage 1 from Previous Scheme

N/A

849

N/A

332

1,181

New Applications from the Enhanced Scheme validated by LA and referred to HA

86

276

27

16

405

New Applications - Damage Threshold Determination met

73

186

26

3

288

Transitional Applications Referred to Housing Agency that met Damage Threshold Determination

N/A

385

N/A

10

395

Applications Approved to Stage 2 from Previous Scheme

N/A

94

N/A

99

193

Stage 2 Number of Remedial Options/Grants Determined by Housing Agency

11

223

0

10

244

Funding approved at Stage 2 from previous scheme

N/A

€16,398,951

N/A

€22,390,935

€38,789,886 *

Total Value of Remedial Options/Grants Determined by Housing Agency

€3,354,364

€74,770,311

0

€3,026,450

€81,151,125

Total LA Drawdown since June 2020

€219,568

€22,153,558

€100,558

€25,503,348

€47,977,031

Number of Payments made to Applicants to scheme (includes professional fees, stage payments and ancillary grants)

0

1,444

0

821

2,265

No. of Applicants who have Completed Remediation Works

0

43

0

11

54

* Figures from May and June 2023 which do not reflect recalculation due as part of the Enhanced Scheme

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